Ora Smith's Blog, page 5

Writing With Brevity

“Flash fiction” and “flash nonfiction” are styles of writing that have become popular in our day of tweets, texts, and Instagram. The following story is 364 words long and would be considered flash nonfiction because it’s a short, true story.
Missing its spine, the heavy family Bible’s front cover slips askew as I grasp the book. Thick threads stitch the pages together at the now naked back, but nothing keeps the gold-designed coverboards intact. Sitting down, I place the book on my lap, the size and weight causing me to wonder where my third great-grandparents had kept it when new. A cupboard, bookshelf, sideboard, or a table just for the book alone? Was it ever set on a pulpit, used for a sermon? The original owner had been a preacher. A sentence in old script is scrolled across the first page, handwritten by the preacher who lived over one hundred and sixty years before: “This book is never to leave my family.” It hadn’t. What kind of man would write such a statement? Was he kind, stern, or overbearing? I thumb through brittle pages, rips and stains displaying its considerable use. The musty smell of decay and history intrigue my awareness to past lives.Tucked within its pages, I find bits of antiquity—pressed flowers and leaves, a lock of hair, a strip of blue paper with a promise to pay back thirty dollars dated 1858, a piece of torn paper with a sermon written upon it not in the writing of my preacher. This note is later used like a scrap of paper with sums penciled along the side.The Bible page bookmarked by a piece of lace record family marriages, births, and deaths. I learn one daughter died when two years old. I imagine a doctor placing his hand on the preacher’s arm. “I’m afraid she’s suffering from typhus.”A great tightness constricts his chest. He gulps for air. His wife collapses against him and he helps her to a chair. An air of stillness settles into their home.They would have laid the child out for neighbors to see. Her brown hair framing her face, styled so the curls her mother loved so much could be remembered just that way.In this same large book opened on my lap, the preacher penned the date of his daughter’s death.People vanish as though they’d never been. I touch her name. Lorena.


Flash nonfiction is a story that is fully developed in as few words as possible. Some say flash nonfiction should be no more than 500 words, other say as long as 2,000. It’s not as easy as it sounds to write such a short story, but well worth a try. It’s especially fun if you only know one story about an ancestor. No need to flesh out a whole life, just tell the one story to represent who he/she was.


When writing flash nonfiction, you need to be aware of character construction and plotting so the story can in some way impact its reader. Start in the middle of the action when a moment of change is about to happen. It helps to write about one ancestor and to not waste words telling the reader about that person, but to instead show the ancestor in a scene. Let their personality and qualities unfold throughout the story.


In choosing what you’re going to write about, answer who, what, and why. It may also help for your story to have a theme.


In my story I had to consider how the Bible related to the preacher and to the dead child. And maybe even how it all related to me. I didn’t show one scene, but snippets of a couple scenes. You can show concrete images while slipping in bits of pertinent back-story. 
With your story, ask yourself what or who (whether circumstances or people) is keeping your ancestor from getting what they want. Transition from the physical situation to its emotional significance.


You could write a flash nonfiction story about who your ancestor was and then show how this played into your life. It helps if the story is wrought with either wisdom, emotion, intellectual growth, or spiritual connection. It should achieve personal discovery or your ancestor’s discovery. Don’t just think about what happened, but instead why what happened matters to you.


Showing tension impacts the reader. And if your story leads to a surprising or emotional event, then it will take your readers to the story’s climax.


You could consider a twist at the end of your story that will leave your reader surprised. “Twists” are the art of withholding important information until a revelatory moment. Even if you don’t have a twist, your hope is to have a final line that will stick in your reader’s mind or encourages him to think about the significance of the story.


To cut your word count, after you’ve written your first draft, remove as many words as you can without losing the narrative, plot, or characters. Edit everything that isn’t essential to understanding the setting or action.

Ora Smith

writer of Heritage Fiction – fascinating stories about ancestors

How to Make a Genealogy Coloring Book with Ancestal Photos

Coloring books can be just as fun for adults as for kids. I love this idea I saw today on the Family Tree Magazine website. Using ancestor's photos for the coloring pages might be a great activity and take home gift for a family reunion. Check it out!

My novel WHITE OAK RIVER is a winner!

I’m a Writing Contest Winner! of the 2017 Phoenix Rattler Contest, sponsored by Christian Writers of the West, an affiliate of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). I was the overall winner for my historical fiction novel, White Oak River, a book based on a true story about my third-great grandparents who lived in North Carolina during the Civil War. Hopefully this means you’ll see it in print someday soon!

Gain Positive Virtues by Learning About Your Ancestors

I grew up in California and can still remember sitting in 5thgrade class, learning about the Civil War. I can’t recall all that was taught, but it was the first time I remember learning about slavery. I was appalled with the concept and glad when the teacher told us the South lost and slavery was abolished.
At home that evening, I told my mother about what I’d learned and passionately said something to the effect of, “I can’t believe people would have slaves! How could they?”
She stopped preparing dinner and looked at me. “It may not have been exactly as it seems. I guess you don’t realize your ancestors fought for the South.”
I was stunned and actually had a physical reaction of revulsion. I wanted to deny it—hide it. How could “those people” be my people?
As disturbed as I was, I was too immature for research to try and make sense of slave owners or those who populated the south in the 1860s, but I did always carry a confused feeling of wrongdoing on my ancestors’ part.
George Norlin is famous for the quote inspired by the writings of Cicero: "Who knows only his own generation remains always a child." This quote is engraved into stone on the library entrance at the University of Colorado. Why a library? Because it’s where we research, learn and discover history—and where we can start to learn to understand people.
It’s wonderful if we have ancestors who sacrificed and made our world a better place, but sometimes our ancestors don’t fall into this category, and it might keep us from understanding them. Or pain exists because we’re angry or bitter at an ancestor for negligence or abuse. For instance, when writing my thesis, I learned that my family had a generational chain of indifference because of alcoholism—not such an uncommon thing, but it caused bad relationships in my present-day family as well.
I can take it further and say, being 76% British (says my DNA), I am ashamed of my English ancestors who didn’t help my Irish ancestors during The Great Famine. It’s history and can’t be changed. I can claim it, but then what? Hopefully, I say, “I don’t want to be like them.” But with me, I’m wanting to understand why they would do such things.
The “why” is where greater understanding takes place. 
And so, I research and I learn and I better comprehend (without making excuses for them). I try and see it from their point of view. Often learning of an ancestor’s history and culture can help you understand why they did what they did and allow you to put hurt, anger, shame, or denial aside.
Studying your ancestors can help you put hurt aside? But they are dead, how do we make personal amends for their immoral ideas and actions? And should a black person hate me for what my slave owning ancestor did?
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another—to identify with their experiences or thoughts. To truly empathize, you must understand a person. To find that understanding with ancestors, you must research the past.
I had to find healing from deep wounds, especially those mired in racism. I found that a basic sense of humanity can enable change. It is counterproductive to say I am the face of my slave-holding ancestors, or those who mistreated the Irish. I have chosen to be free of my ancestors’ belief systems and the decisions they made, and I will not pass them onto my children.
Another way to heal would be to talk about your ancestors with family members and explore ways to move forward. Think about things in different ways by examining others beliefs. If we open our hearts to our ancestors as humans who have made mistakes, we can heal ourselves, families, and our nation of wrongs made.
The past matters and whether we realize it or not, our ancestors have been involved in our lives. But as L. Thomas Holdcroft said, “The past is a guidepost, not a hitching post.”
When I am feeling gratitude for those who went before me, I feel more connected to my community. I recently read an article in the Huffington Post about the health benefits of feeling gratitude. Gratitude brings forward positive emotions and boosts our well-being, strengthening relationships (past and present). The article is worth the read, take a look.
My book club recently read Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. During our discussion of the book, some of us voiced surprise at how many of our revered Founding Fathers had some pretty serious personality flaws and engaged in immoral acts like slavery or cheating on their spouses. One book club member made the comment, “Imperfect people can still accomplish great things.” And aren’t we all imperfect? There are many levels of perception that help us develop understanding and compassion.
When I was discussing my 5th grade experience with a friend, she suggested I do a genogram. A genogram is a family tree that graphs data on hereditary patterns (medical and psychological), and other factors that play into relationships to help you find the events that affected your family. I'm in the process of gathering this information and look forward to learning more about my ancestors. If you’ve done a genogram yourself, I’d love to hear what you’ve learned. Please leave a comment that would be beneficial to this discussion regarding learning about (and possibly forgiving) ancestors.

"What the son wishes to forget the grandson wishes to remember." --known as Hansen’s Law

In the 1930s, Marcus Lee Hansen conducted research on the history of immigration to the United States. He was posthumously awarded the 1941 Pulitzer Prize for History for The Atlantic Migration, 1607–1860: A History of the Continuing Settlement of the United States. He was best known for the hypothesis of “the principle of third generation interest: what the son wishes to forget the grandson wishes to remember."
What does that mean exactly?  Well, Hansen suggested that the ethnicity that came with the immigrant was ignored, weakened or rejected by their children, but then returns with the curious grandchild. Typically, the reason the child rejects the immigrant’s beliefs, customs, language, and foreign ways is because they want to fit into the American mainstream and not stand out as different. They were the one’s subjected to the criticisms and taunts of the Americans. Peer pressure was real. They had a hard time fitting in because at school they were too foreign and at home they were too American. They were expected to catch the American spirit and change who they were.
So why would the next generation (and even the next) want to bring the foreign customs back?  I believe it’s the drive for connection. They want to reaffirm who they are. They’ve found their place in society without feeling “different” (as their parent had), so now they are allowed to look back at where they came from without rejection. Their speech is now the same as those with whom they associate, and they probably have gained average wealth, and may feel they have the freedoms to explore.
The “curious grandchild” may have wondered who were their ancestors and why did they come here, and through study felt pride as they learned of the history and culture of their family who were able to survive. National Spirit grew in their hearts. They formed local societies to sing praises to their immigrant ancestors. When looking back, the third and fourth generations recognized that their achievements were from the hardy stock from which they had sprung. They taught their children to have national pride.
There are stories with great plot lines in each of these generations: The immigrant and their hardships and struggles to get to America; the second generation and their need of acceptance from their peers; and the third generation who looks back to discover their identity.
Much of this may be broad generalization, but there is a truth to human longing for heritage and identity. We aspire to belong and want to form our attachments and loyalties to something or someone. Identity determines how we see ourselves and how others classify us, and even how we choose to engage with those around us. Our social and cultural histories directly impact who we are. They provide structure and meaning for our lives.
Researching and understanding our ancestors, then writing about them is anything but boring. It can also help with understanding our own identities.

How to Organize Your Family Records on Your Computer

Family History Software
Keeping organized records will be a great benefit as you research the ancestor(s) you plan to write about. Family Tree Software will not only help with the organization, but will give you a database where you can keep notes and document sources .

Software for Your Family TreeThere are many family history software options available. Each has its particular pros and cons and I would suggest investigating each of them before making a purchase. For instance, not all software companies sell for both Mac and WindowsPC, or for tablets, or have APPs for SmartPhones.
The five most popular:Legacy Family TreeFamily Historian  Family Tree Maker  Ancestral Quest  Roots Magic 
Free Family History SoftwareAncestral Quest and RootsMagic (and possibly others) have a free basic version you can download, which is a great way to discover if its functions are what you’re looking for. These free downloads are not for just a limited time. I’m not trying to sell you on any of them. The best choice for you often depends on personal preference and needs.
Collaboration Features (some software)You can work on the same files with other researchers or family members, or share between your different devices (i.e., laptop and tablet). Changes made by one collaborator (say, your sister) can be seen by other collaborators (perhaps yourself). You can save your database to a server or cloud with some software products, which ensures not losing your information in the event of a hard drive failure, loss of computer, etc.
Personal software -vs- ancestry.comIt’s possible to have a membership to ancestry.com and keep your family tree record there, not using personal software at all, but below are reasons why I would suggest you have your own database on personal software (which doesn’t stop you from also having it on ancestry.com. I use both. By using ancestry.com, I can find relatives more readily):Pros to having personal software•Records of living people. (These should be hidden on ancestry.com except to the contributor of the information)•Unproven individuals you are still researching.•Families you may be in the process of working on documenting, but not yet willing to  share publicly•Private information or personal notes•Genetic medical conditions documentation•DNA genealogy you feel is private•Advanced searches in your database. For example, you can select names to research  in a specific place, or find all people in your database buried in a certain cemetery.•Multiple databases can be kept in your software. For example, a Personal Family Tree,   Spouses Family Tree, Possible Related Families, Shared Family Trees from someone  else (to be verified), and Adopted vs Biological Family Trees•You can attach photographs, sound clips, video clips, and documents. (You can do   some of these on ancestry.com, but I don’t believe they have a function for sound and   video clips)•Research Documentation Capabilities (verified and unverified records)•Notes Feature (has more space than ancestry.com)•Printing Options - You can create and print many different reports, including research  questions. You can print pedigrees, family group records and many other charts and   reports to share at a family reunion, or with other researchers. These can be shared  electronically or on paper.
Using a GEDCOM (.ged)All family history software, whether Mac of PC, can share amongst each other with a type of file that is called a GEDCOM (.ged stands for Genealogical Exchange Data)
Personal software enables you to choose what, how, and when to share by creating and sharing GEDCOM files.
To create a .ged, you will use your Export functions. To add a .ged into your database, you will use your Import functions. Follow your software guidelines to Import/Export a .ged
You can share your database, or part of your database, by creating a .ged. Share by:.ged on Flash/Thumb Drive.ged on CDEmail .ged attachmentPersonal BlogGoogle Drive Dropboxwebsite: ancestry.com (use .ged to create initial Family Tree)website: FamilySearch.org accepts .ged, as do other family tree websiteswebsite: most that accept DNA reports
I use Ancestral Quest software because I find it to be the most user friendly. I’ve also used Family Tree Maker to print nice reports for family reunions.
To see the TOP TEN family history software, their functions, and reviews.

How comfortable are you writing historical fiction about your ancestors?

Me, not so comfortable at first. I didn’t want to “get it wrong.” And I especially didn’t want to insult them in some way because I do believe I’ll see them again in the hereafter. And let’s face it, they didn’t always do things right, or live a shining life of admirable virtues. And of course, I wouldn’t have a story if they did! It’s the bad guys, or flawed people that make stories interesting.
There are a few ways to talk “trash” on your ancestors without feeling a boatload of guilt.

Let’s talk nontraditional structure
I wrote a book last year that would be called mixed genre. My chapters flip-flopped on whether they were my nonfiction experiences regarding the search for the ancestor and how I felt about what I was finding, and then the other chapters were the narrative of the ancestor’s life—her life in story form, where I wrote historical fiction. It’s the only way I could do it with this particular story because I was out to prove a mystery and find the truth, yet I couldn’t find enough “good” story plot lines that were proven. (I wish I could say more about that book, but until the story is published, mum's the word.)
This week I picked up a historical fiction book by Susanna Kearsley, The Winter Sea (2008), that surprisingly followed the same structure as I had written my book, although the present-day chapters—the woman who was writing about her ancestor—were also fiction, written as if they were nonfiction. Let me explain: The storyline of past events was historical fiction about the exiled James Stewart trying to come back to Scotland in 1708 to reclaim his crown, and a young woman (the present-day writer’s ancestor) who witnessed the events. The modern story that ran throughout the book was about the author’s experiences of writing a story about her ancestor who she seemed to be channeling for information. The fictional author finds out her novel is more fact than fiction.
I wish I could say I channeled my ancestor. I certainly tried! And I do know my book is more fact than fiction.
Structurally, both The Winter Sea, and my book are written in chapter form using chapter numbers for the present-day story, and the Roman numeral system for the historical fiction story. There are lead-ins or transitions at the end of each chapter that take you to the beginning of the story of the following chapter, whether its present-day or past.
Don’t be surprised if your readers like the historical fiction part the best. People generally remember story better when it’s written in narrative. The structure described above is only if the story absolutely calls for it.
If you’re writing completely historical fiction and present-day doesn’t play a part in your story, then be sure to follow the same guidelines for classic structure of a traditional novel.


Then again, you could always write yourself into the story as a fictional character searching for her past and unlocking family secrets as Kate Morton did in The Forgotten Garden(2008).
And if you get the facts wrong about your ancestor, you can apologize when you see them in heaven.

Get to Know Your Ancestors Better Through DNA Autosomal Testing

Last week, AncestryDNA reported they have surpassed 4 million customers in their DNA database. They are the largest consumer genetic testing company.
AncestryDNA started in 2012. With a kit they send in the mail, one provides a saliva sample and then sends it back to them. The results were typically taking less than 6 weeks, but since the new year, they’ve experienced such a large number of test kit returns that the results are taking much longer. My husband sent his in right after Christmas and didn’t received the results until March 15.
Here is what AncestryDNA reports:     ∙   “From January to April 2017, AncestryDNA genotyped 1 million people. So, on average about two people took a DNA test every time there was a marriage in the United States.    ∙    With 4 million members, the AncestryDNA network would be the 2nd largest city in the United States based on population just after NYC.    ∙    The AncestryDNA database grew from 3 to 4 million in the last three months. That’s about as fast as babies are born in the United States.”
You can go onto their website and hear some of the stories customers experienced.
Once your results are in, you’ll receive an email that will take you step by step on how to view the information. There is a short video you can watch to help you understand your results.
The “cousin matches” information that AncestryDNA provides should be investigated and confirmed using additional research because it relies partially on the family history work of others, which isn’t always accurate. In other words, if I am a match to someone who has a family tree on Ancestry.com, I can view their tree on the website (if I am a paying subscription member). It is possible there is bad or incomplete information on that tree. But, the results do take me toward individuals with whom I can collaborate with on our shared family history, and hopefully work through research together.  For instance, I have been able to share old photos of ancestors with those who matched as 4thcousins—photos they had never seen before. And although there may be cons to DNA results on Ancestry.com’s family trees, it does not change the fact that your ethnicity results are a match to others of the same ethnicity.
The three main companies that do autosomal testing are AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, and 23andMe. Which is best for you depends on your goals and family history, but AncestryDNA does have the largest database. It is larger than the other two combined.
You can use the results you get from AncestryDNA and post them on other family tree DNA websites to find more matches.
I have a friend of Eastern European Jewish lineage who reports that she had only 4th cousin matches on AncestryDNA, and those who she messaged couldn’t tell her their 2nd and 3rdgenerations so they didn’t know how they made that 4th generation match. She must consider the matches as clues at this point.
AncestryDNA has only recently entered the international market, and of course growth is expected. At the moment, Family Tree DNA or 23andMe may be more beneficial for those with heritage outside the United States. 
From the first time my autosomal results were posted on AncestryDNA, updates have been made by the company and many more cousins found. It is worth checking back periodically to see what new has been discovered.